


Cafe Diem

by words_reign_here



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Bakery Owner Dean, Dark Winchesters, Detective Cas, F/M, M/M, Nothing explicit, only implied, serial killer brothers, trigger warning child abuse, trigger warning sexual abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-01
Updated: 2015-02-19
Packaged: 2018-02-27 15:58:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2698811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/words_reign_here/pseuds/words_reign_here
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's a bakery downtown, brand new. Just opened. Owned and operated by two brothers, it's the new place to get the best coffee in town. These two brothers belong to a tight knit family, a family that is mended through blood and tears and cannot be pulled apart. They protect each other, they cover for each other, they fight for each other.<br/>They fight for others too.<br/>Detective Castiel Novak has been called in on the the tenth beating of a man who is not expected to make it through the night. His brother, Gabriel Novak is up for reelection this year as district attorney and is calling all hands on deck. After connecting a string of murders and beatings, will Castiel be willing to pay the price for the answers he is looking for?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Cas stared down at the man. A punctured lung, multiple fractures along his femur, cracked skull, swollen brain and he was missing more than half his teeth. He had gotten the beating of a lifetime.

“Why was homicide called in on this?” Cas asked, turning to the DA, who stood at his side. He had known the man his entire life and Gabe took nothing seriously but he was gravely considering the man in between them.

“The doctor says he won’t make it through the night. I just wanted to give you a heads up.”

“You just want me in on a case during an election year to make you look good.” Cas accused.

Gabe shrugged. Childish, brash and loud, but the last thing Gabe was was a liar. “Be that as it may, Detective Novak, your expertise is needed here.”

“Henrickson will not appreciate me horning in on his investigation.” Cas pointed out.

“Henrickson hasn’t done jack shit for this investigation.” Gabe said. “You, baby brother, are the best they have and currently your talents are being wasted elsewhere.” Tilting his head towards the man in the bed, he tried to smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“Be that as it may, I can’t walk in on this until the man is actually dead.” Cas said flatly.

“Nine men have been beaten almost to death in the last four months, Cas.” Gabe said.

“Nine men who have been accused and/or acquitted of child abuse.” Cas shrugged. “It’s hard for me to dredge up sympathy.”

Castiel turned on his heel and left the room. Gabe fell into step next to him. “Will you take the case if he dies?”

“If it is assigned to me, of course I will. Until such a time, this is not my concern.” Cas replied smoothly. He nodded at Becky, one of the nurses at her station.

“Let’s go get some coffee.” Gabe suggested. “I feel like ogling Sasquatch for a little while.”

“That man is married, Gabriel.” Cas frowned.

“The only reason I haven’t asked for his number.” Gabe said. “It’s still early. Come on, Cas.”

Cas sighed but nonetheless followed his older brother to his seven year old Mercedes.

 

~~~

_The Previous Night_

Sam unlocked the door as quietly as he could. He put a finger to his lips and Dean nodded. They tiptoed into the kitchen and Dean gently laid down the roll of quarters that was currently soaked in blood on the countertop. Sam went to the sink and turned on the water and ran his hand underneath it.

The light flicked on.

“You’re late.” Jess said in a deadly tone. She was framed by the door and looked, for all intents and purposes, murderous.  “You said midnight at the latest. Do you know what time it is?”

Dean glanced at his brother and then the clock. 3:03 it blinked at him. Sam opened his mouth to provide an explanation but Jess waved her hand at him so he snapped his jaw shut with a click. He knew better than to try and talk Jess out of a temper tantrum and he was seriously toeing the line as it was.

“I don’t want to hear it.” She strode purposefully to the freezer and pulled out an ice pack. She handed it to Sam and muttered something about Dean’s shirt that was sporting a softball sized hole in it.

“What happened?” Jess asked. She surveyed them. Dean’s shirt was torn from his left nipple down to below his ribs. Sam jeans had blood on them. They both smelled of sweat and snow.

“This one was standing over the little girl’s bed when we got there. Had to pull him out of there, kicking and screaming.” Dean said.

“The girl?” Jess asked, tugging at the hem of Dean’s shirt, which he pulled off and handed to her. She frowned at the tear and headed to the laundry room. “Sam, take off that shirt. You’ve got blood on it. I don’t want it to set.”

Sam promptly took off his shirt and bundled it up and handed it to his wife. Both brothers stood in undershirts in the kitchen. Dean wrapped his arms around himself, shivering in the cooler air. Sam cradled his hand to his chest with the ice pack.

“The girl was untouched. Tonight, anyway.” Sam said. He glanced over at Dean who nodded only slightly. “And probably every night from here on out. Dean and I were…”

“Enthusiastic.” Dean provided after noting Sam’s hesitation.

“Is he alive?” Jess asked. She poured a healthy amount of bleach into the water running into the washer already.

“Sort of.” Sam hedged.

“A little bit, when we left.” Dean said, trying to help.

Jess sighed. “Dean, go to bed. Leave your clothes here. And your boots will have to go into the incinerator. Sam-“ She frowned at him. “Yeah, you might as well do the same.”

Dean slowly began to take off his clothes, leaving them in a neat pile on the floor. He frowned at his boots, sad that they would have to go as well. Stripped of everything down to his boxers, he trudged down to his “room”. On late nights like these, he would stay at Sam’s instead of going home. They would both be getting up a less than two hours anyway to open their café. He left the happy couple to their softly spoken words and easy touches. He climbed into his bed and fell asleep immediately. His dreams were easy and clear.

 

~~~

The next morning found Dean doing two shots of straight espresso first thing. Chuck looked horrified but continued to take the chairs down Café Diem. At six o’clock promptly, Sam tossed the keys to Chuck who opened the doors and the customers began to trickle in. Sam greeted everyone with a friendly smile and kind word despite having less than two hours sleep. In less than half an hour, the café was filled and both Charlie and Chuck were taking pastries, coffee, tea, and breakfast sandwiches out to the patrons at the tables.

“Dean, can you take over? Jess is on the phone.” Sam asked. Dean nodded and signaled for Adam to take over at the espresso machine. Like an eager to please puppy, Adam bounded over. Dean and Adam’s relationship was just leaving the very awkward stage. It had only recently come to light that Adam was a product of an extra-marital affair on John Winchester’s behalf. Dean had to learn and accept that Adam’s parentage was no fault of his own and blaming him was just making a bigger mess of things than they already were. Dean stepped over to the register as Sam stepped into the back, his cell phone already pressed to his ear. Two men stepped up to the register. The shorter one looked like he had just walked off a photo shoot in a too-expensive suit and the taller one wore a long trench coat and reminded Dean of the movie Constantine.  

“So get the case assigned to you.” The shorter man said to the taller man. The shorter man had hair that was longer than Dean liked on a guy, but it framed his narrow face well. The man flicked his eyes from Dean’s shoulders to his eyes and tilted a grin his way.

“That’s not how it works, Gabriel.” The taller man said. He scanned the board behind Dean, his face clouded with thought.

They both turned to Dean at the same time, realizing that there was another close enough to hear their conversation, and everything about them screamed brothers. Their eyes were both a strange shade. The taller one had eyes that were so blue, Dean blinked. The shorter one had eyes that were a strange sort of honey brown and Dean had to remember to smile. They stared at Dean for a long moment, the blonde one still smiling indulgently and the taller, darker man focusing first on Dean’s eyes, then his shoulders and he could practically feel him scan him and take his measurements in one easy glance.

“What can I get you gentlemen?” Dean asked, focusing on his register. Sam had insisted on this state of the art, touch screen thing that worried Dean every time he went near it. The screen blurred for a second and Dean caught Adam’s eye while the men studied the menu behind Dean more thoroughly. He signaled for another shot of espresso and even though Adam raised his eyebrows, he slid one down the counter and Dean downed it like a champ.

The shorter man raised his eyebrows. “Late night?”

Dean smirked. “You have no idea.”

The shorter man smiled. “I’ll have a large white chocolate toffee, extra syrup, extra whip.”

“Would you like some coffee with that sugar?” Dean asked as he punched in the order. It appeared in front of Adam almost simultaneously who began to mix the drink together smoothly. If nothing else, the kid could make a coffee suited to a customer’s taste.

The man in front of him laughed. “I like you.” He clasped the man’s arm next to him. “Get what you want, Cas. It’s on me.”

“You can’t bribe me with sugar and caffeine, Gabe. I wish for neither.” The man said in a flat tone.

“We have a pretty wide selection of tea, too.” Dean offered. “Pastries, breakfast sandwiches…” He trailed off as the man stared at him intently. His blue eyes were searing and Dean felt like he was being picked apart, piece by piece.

“Do you have loose leaf Assam?” He asked finally.

“We do!” Adam cried out next to Dean after a full thirty seconds of Dean forgetting how to speak English.

“I’ll have a medium.” The man said softly, finally looking away.

Dean cleared his throat and finished punching in the order. “Your total comes to-“ But before Dean could complete his sentence, there was an odd screeching from the back room. The entire café went silent and the taller man was swiftly jumping over the counter and pushing Dean behind him and pulling his service pistol at the same time. If Dean hadn’t been overly concerned for his brother in the back where the strange screeching was coming from he would have been able to focus on how hot it was. Sam emerged from the back, waving his phone over his head, making the strange screeching sounds. He pushed the taller man aside and gripped Dean’s biceps hard enough to bruise and lifted him into a bear hug. He turned back, pushed the man out of the way again and did the same to Adam. He was still screeching, unable to form words. He turned to the taller man who appeared confused and not a little frightened. Sam wrapped him up in a hug despite the weapon in the man’s hand. Then he pushed the man aside and for the first time, Dean noticed tears in Sam’s eyes.

“What the hell, man?” Dean asked.

“Jess!” Sam screamed.

“What about her?!” Dean screamed back.

“She’s pregnant! I’m going to be a father!” Sam screamed. He turned back to the strange man behind the counter and hugged him fiercely before saying, “You are a customer, aren’t you?”

The man, now encased in Sam’s too long arms, nodded stiffly. Sam let go of him but grabbed for Charlie who yelped as she was pulled into Sam’s arms. The taller man tried to sneak past Dean to the other side of the counter but they ended up doing a strange little dance, blocking each other’s way before Dean finally stopped and pushed the man to one side and stepped the opposite way himself. Once the man was firmly on his side of the counter Dean waved away the charge.

“Since my brother molested you and all.”

The shorter man grinned and the taller man nodded solemnly. “Give your brother our congratulations.”

Dean smiled, “I’ll do that.”

The two men left the counter shortly thereafter and more customers came up to place orders and congratulate Sam. The two men from earlier left soon after but the taller man caught Dean’s eye before they left. Dean winked lasciviously at the taller man and the other man raised a hand in goodbye. The rest of the day Dean spent swatting at Sam who was grinning like a loon and Sam hugging all his employees. Charlie started giggling and Chuck looked vaguely uncomfortable if resigned. Adam relished in the affection that his big brother was lavishing on him. Charlie left for a short break and came back with daisies from Joshua’s store down the street. He sent his deepest regards and reminded Sam that children were the greatest gift on earth. Sam’s eyes got watery again. Dean left early after stumbling over his own feet for the third time. He was tired and worn out from the night before. Sam promised to close up for the night and send everyone home.

Dean slid behind the wheel of his car and relished the feeling of the warm leather underneath his hands. He drove home on auto pilot and stumbled into his bungalow with his eyes barely open. He took off his boots and left a trail of clothes on his way to the back of the house and to his room. He was asleep before he hit the pillow.

 

~~~

Gabriel dropped Cas off at the station and the captain dropped a file off at his desk. “What’s this, ma’am?” Cas asked, looking up at the captain.

“It’s your new case. The DA requested you take it on personally.” Jody Mills raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything else. “The victim from last night expired this morning. It’s officially homicide.” She turned on her heel and snapped at Garth for some unknown reason. He waved her off, his good mood undisturbed. He turned in his chair to face Cas with the same half smile he had on his face all the damn time. He was the happiest man on the homicide force.

“I hear you almost took out an expectant father this morning at the new coffee shop.” He said. His grin was there but his words held no sting. Garth Fitzgerald IV was probably one of the nicest men Cas had ever encountered.

“He was making the strangest sound…” Cas said thoughtfully. “I did not expect impending parenthood would cause such a reaction.”

Garth nodded to the file in Castiel’s hand. “Would you like some help there?”

“I would prefer your company to that of Detective Gordon’s, yes.” Cas replied. Garth smiled even wider and reached for the file.

“I’ll make copies for myself, partner.” Garth said and Cas was reminded why he liked the man so much. Garth took everyone’s idiosyncrasies in stride and it never bothered him.  He knew Cas liked to keep his own files, at his own desk and occasionally at home. When Garth returned, they went over the files silently. After awhile, Cas suggested they go to the morgue to view the body first hand. Garth agreed and in short order, they were driving downtown to the county morgue to view the body that Cas had just so recently seen alive. His dark complexion was now gray but otherwise he looked the same.

“This would be number ten in the last, what, four months?” Garth frowned on one side of the table and Cas studied the man for a long moment.

“The tenth beating, yes. First fatality.” Cas said. The man was barely recognizable. The girlfriend had already decided that it would be a closed casket funeral as the only positive way to make an identification was through fingerprints.

“Uriel Accai.” Garth said, flipping open his notes and pulling a pen neatly out of his pocket. “Numerous domestic abuse calls for the past three years until September of last year when they just stopped. All calls, everything. Until late November when CPS was called to the house he shared with his girlfriend and her two kids. Oldest child, Jeremy Duncan, twelve years old. Had not been to school in a week. Younger child, Clarissa Duncan, ten years old. Both students’ were academic achievers who participated in sports and were all around pretty good kids until... late September, according to their teachers.”

Cas nodded at the men who were coming to pick up the body for the funeral home. Both detectives left the room quietly.

“In September,” Garth continued, “Jeremy began missing whole spans of school. Clarissa began to withdraw from friends and teachers. They were sullen, angry, prone to fights.”

“Both children?”

“You got it. Jeremy missing a week of school was the final straw and both teachers called CPS who made a visit. At the home, they found Jeremy who had beaten pretty badly. He had to be taken in to the hospital to have a bone reset that had apparently been broken and he had not been taken in for medical attention. CPS was concerned for Clarissa and took her in as well.” Garth cleared his throat and paused for a long moment. “Accai would eventually be charged with domestic assault, physical and sexual abuse on a minor. It never made it to court because the mother-“

Castiel stopped him with a hand on his arm. “No need to continue. I understand.”

And of course he did. He had heard it a thousand times before from a thousand different stories. Mothers too broken to protect themselves let alone their children and desperate to have someone around. It was the same swan song that had been sung before to Cas.

“Well, Accai had just moved back into the Duncan household when there was break in. Mother was working the late shift at the diner and the children were left with Accai. According to Jeremy, the kids were ordered to bed around ten o’clock and two hours later, they woke up to his screams. In the hallway that separated the two rooms, to see two ‘really, really big dudes’ beating Accai. When they saw the children, they stopped and one said to the other, ‘We’re the monsters they should be afraid of.’”

“That’s… extremely disturbing.” Cas said, frowning at Garth. Garth frowned down at his papers.

“I agree.” Garth sighed. They climbed into the unmarked vehicle and headed back to the precinct.

“I’m going to take the files home tonight, go over them carefully to see if I can find anything anyone else missed.” Cas said. “We will reconvene tomorrow at nine to go forward.”

“Sounds like a plan, my man.” Garth said, tapping a drumbeat out on his knee. If Cas didn’t know any better, he would have thought that Garth was spacing out, not listening at all. Instead, he knew Garth was going over the details minutely. He had confided in Castiel once that he had an eidetic memory, commonly known as a photographic memory, and once he read or saw something he could go over it again and again in his minds eye.

Castiel much, much preferred Garth over Gordon.

 

~~~

_That Night_

Dean almost fell out of his bed reaching for his pants where his annoying ring tone was going off. Sam was calling him. He looked over at the clock. Five o’clock. The café closed an hour ago.

“Hey, Sammy. What’s up?” He asked stretching and scratching his stomach.

“Everyone is coming over for dinner. About an hour. Jess is making lasagna. Think you can make it?” Sam asked. Excitement still tinged his voice and Dean smiled faintly.

“Course. Do I need to bring anything?” Dean asked.

“Just your usual pleasant self.” Sam replied. But his tone got serious for a minute. “Have you seen the news at all, today?”

“Nope, you just woke me up.” Dean tugged his laptop out from under a pile of clean laundry on his desk.

“Check it out. Everyone will be here tonight.”

“Will do. See you in a bit.” Dean said. He ended the call and logged onto the local news site. Apparently, Uriel Accai had died of his injuries sustained in a vicious home invasion the night before. The witnesses in this case were unable to identify the men that had attacked Accai as they were wearing masks. The children were unable to say if they were Caucasian, Hispanic or African American. They were unable to see any identifying marks on them. They were unable to say if the men had an accent at all.

Two masks and gloves, in our case. It had been Sam’s idea. Ski masks to obscure any skin that might show and another clear plastic mask to blur any other features. They wore gloves and never took any traceable weapons to the crime scene. Both brothers had been raised as warriors and could go toe to toe with some of the best fighters in the country and not bat an eye.

The rest of the news article went over Accai’s criminal record and where people could pay their respects at his final resting place. Dean stood and his back popped noisily. It was unexpected but not precisely a surprise that the man had died. Dean was not sorry. There was not any remorse left in him. As far as Dean was concerned, Accai was a monster who deserved to die and he would not waste an ounce of prayer on him.

Sam, however, was most assuredly worried. These forays had been going on for years and only recently, when he and Dean decided to settle down, did the police finally catch on. He set the table while Jess put bread in the oven, humming a song that he had not heard in years. The only reason the police had not caught on, until now, was because Bobby would find these sick fucks across the country and they were able to spread their missions out. One guy in Wisconsin would not be connected to another in Arizona. And so on and so forth. Sam sighed and sat down heavily.

The movement caught Jess’ eye and she wandered over to him, keeping an eye on the timer.

“It’s not the first time this has happened, is it, Sam?” Jess asked.

“No, of course not. When we were younger, things got out of hand with an almost alarming frequency.” Sam said. “But now I’ve got you and we’ve got a baby coming-“

“And I’ve got you. I have your back. So does Dean and Bobby and Rufus-“

“Jess-“

“Hush, Sam. I get it. Sometimes the memories and the nightmares get worse when this happens. Maybe you should talk to Dean about it, huh? He seems to know what’s memory and what’s dream. It helps.”

Sam sighed and cupped her face in his hands. He kissed her deeply and then pressed his forehead to hers. “You’re right. You’re always right. Let’s finish up.”

 

~~~

_November 2, 1987_

Sam awoke when his older brother tugged on his arm. “Sam! Sammy wake up! Come on!” Sam stumbled to his feet and Dean pushed him into the closet. “Don’t come out, ok? Stay in there, no matter what you hear.”

The closet was not hung properly and there was a sliver of light that Sam could see through. Eight year old Dean tossed Sam’s discarded blankets back on the bed, flipped off the light and curled up in his own bed.

“Dean?” Sam whispered from the closet.

“Hush, Sammy. Just- just stay quiet.” Dean replied.

Sam found out why.

Moments later, John Winchester entered the boys room, anger rolling off of him like a stench.

“Where’s your brother?” John demanded, his words slurring.

“He’s staying at Tim’s house tonight. His mom said it was ok-“

“Did you bother asking me?!” John roared. To Dean’s credit he didn’t flinch back. Outright fear brought out the worst in John.

“I couldn’t find you.” Dean whispered, barely audible over John’s heavy breathing. John reached out and jerked Dean out of bed. Dean cried out, legs tangled in the blankets. The last thing Sam saw was John raise his hand. After that, he buried himself in discarded clothes and toys. He curled up and tried to block out the noises his brother made.

This was Sam’s first concrete memory of his father.

 

~~~

_Present Day_

“Is this escalation, or a pattern we just haven’t noticed before?” Cas asked the whiteboard in front of him. He twirled the dry erase marker in his hand and sighed. “We could pull records from around the state, I suppose.”

“Castiel, sit your ass down and eat like a normal person, would you?” Anna complained. “This thing has been cooking all day and you won’t even get to see it, the way Gabe is going.”

Gabe sat next to Anna, all DA pretenses banished inside the Novak household. He wore pajama bottoms and his hair was a mess. In front of him sat his third helping of roast beef and he was already eyeing the dish in the middle of the table.

With a huff, Castiel sat down and served himself. Anna was the chef of the household and made sure that Cas got his daily helpings of fruits and vegetables. At twenty-three, she was working on her Masters in Criminal Psychology in hopes of joining the FBI upon completion of her degree. She stayed at home most days, working on papers for her correspondence course and making sure her brothers were well fed and went to bed at a decent time. She was the mother they never had. Cas dug in, groaning when he tasted Anna’s meal.

“Did Cas tell you how he almost shot an expectant father?” Gabe asked, reaching for fourths. Anna slapped his hand away and instead gathered his plate up and served him herself.

“Really, Cas? I thought you were supposed to protect and serve.”

“Gabriel exaggerates. As usual.” Cas said. He quickly explained the story and Anna smirked.

“He hugged you?” She asked.

“He was on an emotional high.” Cas said with a casual shrug.

“Refrain from shooting expectant fathers, Cas.” Anna admonished with a serving spoon and Cas couldn’t help but duck his head at her gentle scolding.

“I’ll do what I can, Anna.”

“That’s all I ask. More mashed potatoes?”

“No thank you. I need to go finish up.” Cas said. He picked up his plate and took it to the dishwasher. It was Gabe’s night to clean up so he left the dish there and returned to the living room. The notes he had taken, the photos, the kids accounts all danced before him. On the table beside the board were the accounts of children from other instances where the men had been beaten within an inch of their lives. They had all referred to the men as monsters but not in the typical scared-of-what’s-in-the-closet-monsters. No, the kids were almost reverent when they spoke of the vigilantes.

“So, we’re hunting for monsters now, huh?” Gabe asked as he took a seat in the office. He had a bowl full of ice cream and Anna sat in the chair opposite him. They both looked up at the board with some interest. She had her own bowl.

“Gabriel, there are no such things as monsters in closets that beat alleged child abusers into comas and eventually, death.”

Gabriel regarded him for a long time. “No, not monsters, Cas. Just regular people doing what you and I can’t. The only reason that sorry excuse of a human being was never given a sentence was because the mother swore nothing happened.”

“Are you taking their side, Gabriel?” Cas asked, turning to face his brother.

“As DA of this county, no. Of course not. These men are criminals and deserved to be punished to the fullest extent of the law. As a human being, as a man who practically raised his baby sister… I’m just saying I can understand.” Gabe shrugged.

Cas turned back to the board. He paused and twirled the marker in his fingertips. “They are, nonetheless, criminals. Murderers.”

 

~~~

“Sam, can you get another chair?” Jess asked. She bent over and pulled the lasagna from the stove and set it on a butcher block. Everyone was over and Dean couldn’t have been happier. Rufus and Michael had even made it. Jo, Ellen and Bobby showed up in one car and Rufus and Michael joined them shortly thereafter. Dean showed up last, having stopped for sparkling cider to celebrate the occasion. They crowded around the breakfast bar and table, Michael and Dean elbowing each other for space. Jess passed around the plates and utensils, and the sparkling cider was opened up.

“Hey, everyone. I just want to tell Jess and Sam congratulations. No two people deserve more happiness than these guys.” Jo said, from her side of the table. Jess blushed openly and Sam hugged her and buried his face in her hair.

“Cheers to that.” Bobby said.

“Oh quit it. All of you. Let’s eat before it gets too cold.” Jess admonished smoothly and began serving everyone. Before long, the second pan was brought out and everyone spoke enthusiastically of the Singer’s Salvage and Auto, Café Diem and the upcoming arrival of the new addition to the family. Michael and Jo began to clean up the dishes as everyone finished and Jess put a pot of coffee on the burner.

“We do have other things to talk about, I suspect.” Ellen said from her side of the table. She raised her eyebrows at both the boys who sighed.

Michael grasped the mug of warm tea in his hands and leaned forward. “You two were a little too conspicuous last night, wouldn’t you say?”

“This guy was a little too vicious, is what I would say.” Dean muttered. Michael glared at him. “He was already in the little girl’s room, getting ready to continue everything he had just been acquitted of, ok? Just- no.”

“Yes, it did get out of hand last night.” Sam interjected smoothly. “But it’s no different than any other time.”

“I would argue that point, Sam.” Rufus said, “This is our hometown. I understand what you are doing and hell, wish I could join you sometimes. But you have to understand that you killed that man-“

“We understand that we killed a child rapist, yeah Rufus. We’ve been over that part. But you can’t ask us to feel sorry for him either.” Dean replied.

Rufus sat back in his chair and sighed. Ellen took up the charge next. “What Rufus is trying to get at is that this is our hometown, boys. Sooner or later, someone is going to put two and two together.”

Jo snorted. “Yeah, right. That’s why they’ve been getting away with this for fourteen years. Come on, mom. Dean’s been at this since he was sixteen. Same with Sam. They know how to cover their tracks-“

“Joanna Beth-“ Ellen started.

“No, listen mom. They know how to cover their tracks. And who in their right mind is going to look at a couple of business owners with family and friends and significant ties to the community? One of which volunteers to work with kids and homeless people, when he isn’t volunteering at the local shop,” She gestured at Dean, “And the other one who is expecting a baby and spends all his time with his wife and other family members.” She glanced over at Sam.

“I’m sorry, El, but I’m with Jo on this one. Our plan has yet to fail. We’ve got video tapes of the boys working in the shop, time cards of where they were at the time and if not, witnesses that say otherwise.” Bobby said.

Ellen looked over at Jess. “And your thoughts on this, missy?”

“I agree with Jo as well. The boys know what they are doing. Some people do not deserve to be near children and the men they take out,” Jess shrugged. “I can’t say that they will be missed by many people.” Jess leaned over and took Ellen’s hand in hers. “I know you’re worried too but you have to trust them. And us. Our system works every single time.”

Ellen hesitated for a moment and nodded. “Fine. What’s our story?”

“Sam was home with me all night.” Jess said, rubbing a palm over Sam’s forearm and smiling faintly.

“And I spent the night at Dean’s and we watched Terminator 2 and the Alien trilogy.” Jo said.

“I was there for part of the night.” Michael said. “I made pizza.”

Bobby nodded. “That’ll work.” He raised a finger at Sam and Dean. “You two need to watch yourselves. Back off for a while. I’ll see if there are any cases out of town you could pick up? Clear?”

“Yes, sir.” Both Dean and Sam said.

“I’m headed home. Rufus, Michael, if you need a ride back let’s shake a leg.” He said.

The other men nodded and headed for the door with Bobby in the lead. Ellen and Jo promised they would be home soon and Jess hugged everyone goodbye. Sam and Dean promised they would see them the next day. Dean left as well, deciding to be at the café early in the morning since he had left early that morning. He whistled to the music blasting on his stereo and flipped on the news when he got home.

As he was untying his boots, the announcer launched into Accai’s story. “Lead Homicide Detective, Castiel Novak and District Attorney Gabriel Novak spoke to the press earlier today about the developments of the case. Here are a few words from him.”

The screen cut to Detective Novak who stood next to what he assumed was his brother, DA Gabriel Novak. And there he was, the guy from the café this morning whose first instinct had been to protect Dean from the strange screaming in the back, who had eyes that were painfully blue, and a full mouth that Dean was dying to trace with the tips of his fingers. DA Novak turned out to be the shorter man that had been in the café as well.

“We are taking this case as seriously as possible. While there seems to be extenuating circumstances to this case, we treat a murder as a murder and will prosecute this person to the fullest extent of the law.” His voice was water over silk over gravel. Even through the tv, Dean shivered.

Dean’s hand was already reaching for his phone as it began to ring.

“Sam?”

“He was the one I hugged this morning.”

“Yeah, I know.” Dean whispered.

“He’s the one you winked at.”

“Yeah, he is.” Dean replied.

“Shit.”

“Yeah.”

Sam hung up. Everything they needed to say was already said. They had been careful before but now they had to really watch each other’s backs.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected visitor starts Dean and Castiel down a road that neither one knows how to navigate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note all triggers in the tags!

_The Following Morning_

Dean walked into the darkened café. It was only four thirty but he couldn’t sleep so he decided an early start on the day would be best. He brewed a shot of an espresso and drank it while steaming a vanilla latte for later. Chuck would be in shortly to start the pastries and they would open.

It was a day like every other.

Except this time, Dean had killed a man and the lead detective on the case knew who he was, and let’s be honest, Dean was starting to nurse a small crush on the man.

He stared at his reflection in the shiny machine and shook his head. “You are a fucking mess, man.”

He swept and wiped down the counters, helped Chuck when he made his way in, cleaned the plate glass window and finally opened the doors. He lost himself in the endless orders and the friendly regulars. After a couple of hours at the front he was able to dredge up a smile and then maybe an hour after that he started to mean it. Sam hovered over him for a while until Dean gently pushed him away. He saw Castiel enter the shop and looked in vain for DA Novak.

Dean smiled widely, maybe a little brightly when Castiel got to the front of the line.

“Saw you on tv last night, man. Looked good.” He said, as a way of greeting.

“Ah, thank you.” He stuck his hand out. “Castiel Novak. Lead homicide detective.”

Dean grinned. “Dean Winchester. Co-owner of Café Diem. Nice to meet you.” Dean paused. “Same thing as yesterday? Or I could get Sam to see what kind of tea we have in the back?”

“A large Assam would be fine, thank you.” Castiel said politely. He looked down at his hands and reached in for his wallet. When Dean noticed that his eyelashes were like black smudges on his cheeks, Dean knew. He positively _knew_. He was gone. Done for.

“Hey, don’t worry about it, Cas. My brother still feels bad for molesting you yesterday. No big deal.”

Castiel looked up and those big blue eyes pierced Dean. His breath caught. “Cas?”

“Oh, yeah. Castiel is kind of a mouthful,” Dean choked on his word choice, a flush rising to his cheeks, “And I’m a fan of nicknames.”

Charlie passed behind Dean just then, “He’s not kidding. My name used to be Charlotte before I started here.”

Chuck laughed next to him and tapped his nametag. It read God. “He’s where I got this one from.”

“It was supposed to read _God of Pastries_ but I couldn’t get it to fit.” Dean explained. Cas huffed out a laugh and tucked his wallet away.

“Sounds like I’m getting off easy.” Cas said. Dean handed his tea over and Cas took it out of his hand. His hand lingered there a few seconds too long but it was Dean who pulled away first.

“You are.” Sam interrupted suddenly. “I got stuck with the nickname of a fat twelve year old.”

“Aw, Sammy, you love it and you know it.” Dean said, his eyes still on Castiel. Castiel looked down at his tea.

“I will see you tomorrow.” He said softly. His inflection was a promise and Dean perked up a little more. Dean watched him and his trench coat slide purposefully towards the door, people parting around him. At the last moment, Castiel turned his eyes back to Dean and Dean winked at him again.

“Hey, uh, Dean. Can I talk to you in the back?” Sam asked. “Charlie. Take over for a second.”

Sam escorted Dean to the back office which was barely bigger than Jess’ closet at home, and promptly smacked him in the head.

“What are you doing!” He hissed. “You cannot be flirting with the head detective in charge of the case of the guy that we murdered! Do you want us to get caught!”

“I was not flirting!” Dean hissed back.

“You were too! You gave him a nickname for crying out loud! You didn’t make him pay! And if you eye fucked him any harder he would have lost his job for conduct unbecoming an officer!” Sam whispered. He took a deep breath. “Do not flirt with him. Make him pay. Do not ask him out.”

“I won’t ask him out.” Dean agreed.

“Dean-“ Sam whined.

“I won’t!”

~~~

“The Monsters of Eastwick, huh?” Garth said, laying a paper down on Castiel’s desk. “That’s what the press has named them.”

“They have been less inspired before.” Cas said, scanning the paper quickly. Some of the facts they got right but it was the quote from all the kids that stuck out.

_“We’re the monsters they should be afraid of.”_

“Did you come up with anything?” Garth said.

“Not really.” Cas admitted. His files were spread out on his desk, the pictures of the victims in various stages of beatings. It never really amounted to the same thing. Ten men, one of which died; six were put in the hospital and two only required an overnight stay for observation. Accused sexual abusers were consistently put into the hospital and all were warned pretty specifically to stay away because these ‘Monsters of Eastwick’ would be watching.

And maybe they were. None of them tested the waters; none of them went back to the households they had previously occupied.

“What do we know of these two?” Castiel asked Garth. He began to re-file his papers and shoved them in his well-worn messenger bag before turning back to Garth.

“Uh, not much. They are big. We put them both between six foot two and six foot five. Experienced fighters, trackers. There is some suggestion of military training. The first two suggested maybe drifters-“

“Let’s start there.” Castiel said, snatching up his phone and dialing down to IT.

“IT, we track em, you bag em. This is Ash.”

“Ash. Detective Novak.”

“Yes, Detective.” Ash replied. Genuinely, and not for the first time, Castiel tried to remember his last name and came up empty.

“How wide can you search?”

“Legally?” Ash replied.

“Well, yes. Of course.”

“State wide. I can ask for a few favors here and there though, for your big new shiny case.” Ash replied easily.

“It would be conducive to our investigation.” Castiel admitted.

“All right, big boy. Give me some parameters.”

“Let’s go back, say ten years. Nationwide, child abusers-“

“Physical? Sexual? Age range?”

“Both and anyone under eighteen.”

“Who were beaten badly enough to be either hospitalized or died.”

Ash was silent for a long moment. “You don’t think this is the beginning, do you?”

Castiel was silent as he stared at the files in Garth’s hands. Garth watched him steadily for a long moment before shaking his head. “No, Ash. I think they’ve been doing this for a very long time.”    

~~~

_March 22nd, 1988_

Dean was not a big nine year old. In fact, he was on the scrawny side. He didn’t often eat nor did he eat well. He got what he could for Sammy but considered himself secondary. His father wasn’t around enough to monitor his eating habits and snapped at anyone who tried to say otherwise.

Dean did not often go to school. Teachers asked too many questions. _What happened to your mother? Where is your father? Why don’t you have a good coat? Why don’t you have lunch money? Where did that bruise come from?_ Dean was able to shield Sam from it, most of it; he would like to think anyway but he took the brunt of it in return.

But this, being out on an empty field, with a baseball bat and ball was the silver lining that was the hell of his childhood. There were days, few and far between to be sure, that he could be out in the field behind the crappy house his father had purchased, just him and his imaginary fans, chasing the ball and jumping and cheering.

The blackened eye was starting to fade and he would be able to go back to school. Spring was around the corner which meant that he would be able to mow lawns again and get a little money so Sam could get those damn fruit roll ups that he loved so much. Maybe they could go see a movie.

Dean checked the sun. It was time to go home. Sam couldn’t be there alone and he loved to tell Dean every single detail about his day. The kid thrived on school; loved it as much as he loved his big brother. Dean hit the ball one last time, swung the bat over his shoulder, retrieved the ball and turned back home. He jogged the last bit because he could already see the trouble. The back door was open and swinging on its hinges and Dean knew he had closed it.

He would have run straight into the house if he hadn’t heard a very small sniffle. He looked to the right and underneath the kitchen window sat Sammy, holding a torn piece of brightly colored paper and wiping blood from either his nose or his mouth, Dean couldn’t tell which. Dean dropped all his things and Sam turned those great big eyes to him. He held out his piece of paper, torn and blood stained.

“I made you something at school today.”

~~~

_Present Day_

It was Dean’s turn to stay until close and he hummed his way through the rest of the day, waving Charlie and Chuck and Adam off around four o’clock when the customers started tapering off. He started piling chairs up on the tables and got the mop water ready and turned his music up too loud. At five o’clock, he closed the blinds, locked the door and got to work. The lights were on and the place was brilliantly lit.

Later, Dean would contribute the music as a factor to the reason he didn’t hear anything until it was almost too late. He saw the belt come down over his face and at the very last second was able to wedge his palm between it and his throat. Whoever was behind him clung on anyway, pulling back on the belt and pushing a knee into Dean’s lower back. Dean braced himself, planted his feet squarely, and threw the guy over his shoulder. It was no small feat either; the man outweighed Dean by a good thirty pounds. He growled as he stood back up and pulled a gun on Dean. Dean rushed him, following his first instincts. He could hear Michael in the back of his head, _“What’s the first thing they won’t expect? They won’t expect you to fight back.” A hard poke to his chest. “But it’s yours, boy. Fight for it.”_

So Dean rushed him, grabbed the gun and pointed it skyward. It fired too many times for any bullets to remain and the man struck Dean in the face with it. Startled and dizzy, Dean stumbled back. He took hold a chair and threw it and from behind he heard someone say, “Hey, Dean-“

Dean turned for a second to see Jess casually walk in with Sam on her heels and her eyes widen in surprise. Dean turned back in time to see the man rush _him_ and fell back heavily against the glass case where all the pastries were kept. It shattered and there was a searing pain across Dean’s back. He struggled to get back up, but before he could the man was torn from him and he saw his baby brother stand between him and the man. The man was bloody and tried for the front door, anything to get away from Sam who looked like an avenging angel towering over Dean.

“Yes, we are at 387 North Woods Ave. Please, hurry.” He could hear Jess whispering. She craned her neck and Dean waved her back. “Yes, my brother, he fell and there’s glass everywhere-“ She stifled a scream as the man tried to lunge around Sam but Sam would have none of it. He grabbed the man’s hair and slammed him face first into the counter. The man slumped to the ground, dazed but not unconscious.

Sam’s eyes blazed and Dean knew that look. He knew that Sam was going to finish this here and now.

“Sam! Sammy! No!” He bellowed from his place on the ground. Sam turned to him and Dean’s stomach sank.

It was the same look he had seen in his own father’s eyes too many times.

~~~

“Gabriel is on his way to you now.” Anna said over the phone. “Don’t forget to get the ice cream on the way home. I only made stew for dinner but I have a pie in the oven right now. Gabriel finished all the ice cream last night.”

“I will remind him.” Castiel said, shoving his laptop into his messenger bag and standing up to put on his coat.

“Ok. I’ll see you in a bit. I love you.” She said and promptly hung up on her brother, thus sparing him the awkwardness of returning the gesture.

Castiel dropped his phone into his pocket and Gabriel entered the station right then. Just as he raised his hand in greeting, a flurry of activity caught his attention and he turned to Garth.

“Your new coffee shop just got robbed.” He said.

Castiel turned his eyes to Gabe who tossed him the keys to his car. “You drive.” He said. They turned and strode out of the building as quickly as possible, Gabe half jogging to keep up. Castiel was silent on the way over and Gabe only gripped the car door when Cas took turns to quickly.

“He gives everyone nicknames.” Cas muttered.

Gabe looked over. “Did he give you one?”

“This morning.”

When they got to the coffee shop, there was already an ambulance and fire truck waiting. Black and whites surrounded the area and Castiel pushed past everyone else.

Inside, it was a wreck. The floor was soaked with water from an overturned mop bucket and chairs were everywhere. A gun lay discarded to the side and a young woman sat to the side, where a paramedic took her blood pressure. The very tall man who had hugged Cas only a day earlier stood by her, a hand on the back of her neck. He spoke softly to her and she nodded at his words. A paramedic draped a blanket over her shoulders. They didn’t take notice of Cas coming in because their eyes were glued to the floor in front of what was left of the glass pastry case. Dean lay there in a pile of glass, his eyes were glassy and he stared at the ceiling. An alarming amount of blood was spreading underneath him.

“I was just closing up.” He muttered as the paramedics gently hooked up an IV to one arm and dosed him with some powerful painkillers. Another medic stood to the side with a stretcher waiting. Three firefighters stood off to the side, ready to help.

“Give him a second. I don’t want to move him without the meds setting in first.” The first paramedic said.

“What the fuck happened?” Gabriel asked, looking around at the destruction.

“Dude came in. Tried to rob me-“ Dean started. He faltered and his eyes took on a distant look and the meds hit him.

“I’m Dean’s brother. Sam. Castiel, right?” He asked. He didn’t move from the young lady at his side and Cas had to assume that that was his wife, pregnant and panicking at his side.

“Yes, Sam.”

“Well, the guy came in, tried to rob Dean but he fought back. Jess and I came in to see if he wanted to go get dinner and the guy threw him into the case. Jess called the police-“

“Where is he?” Cas asked, looking at three of the police officers that stood nearby in case they needed help.

“In the back. The big guy here tied him up with so much duct tape that we couldn’t get a word out of him. Also beat him halfway to hell.” One officer said. He looked mildly disinterested in the state of affairs of the suspect.

“He was trying to rob you?” Cas asked, disbelief etched on his face. The last place he would rob would be the corner coffee shop.

“Well we didn’t have a sit down _chat_ , if that’s what you’re asking. I walked in after hearing gun shots with my pregnant wife to find my brother getting thrown into a glass case, the result of which is now in front of you.” Sam snapped.

Castiel gathered himself, “I apologize, Sam. But the last place I would think to rob would be-“

“No, I get it too. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to call my mom to come get Jess so I can go to the hospital with Dean.” Sam said, still snappish.

Cas stepped forward into Sam and Jess’ small circle. “I’ll go to the hospital with Dean. Get Jess settled and then come for Dean.” Sam opened his mouth but Cas shook his head. “It’s no trouble, really.”

Sam hesitated but when he looked down at Jess, all blue watery eyes and trembling mouth, he gave in. “I’ll be there as soon as Jess is ok with me leaving.”

Cas paused for a moment. “If she is not ok with you leaving, here is my partner’s phone number. He’s… been called an odd duck before but he is more than competent at his job. Call if Jess would feel better about someone staying with her.” Cas scribbled down Garth’s phone number and pressed it into Sam’s hand.

“Thank you.” Sam said, some of the tension rolling off his shoulders.

Cas turned in time to see the paramedics begin to grasp Dean as gently as possible and Cas stepped in to help. He clasped Dean’s left shoulder firmly and on the paramedic’s count, lifted him and they all helped him lie down, face first on the stretcher. Dean’s light blue shirt was a mess. All blood and torn fabric, Cas frowned.

“Hey, I’m the one who decided to lie in the pile of glass.” Dean said, looking up at him. “What are you all frowny face for?”

“You looked good in that shirt.” Castiel replied.

Dean chuckled and his eyes were bright with narcotics. “Well, I’ll let you buy me another just like it.”

“I might hold you to that, Mr. Winchester.” Cas said, looking down at his new charge. He tossed Gabe the keys and asked him to explain to Anna what was happening. Gabe nodded and waved them off. Dean was lifted into the ambulance and they took off, sans lights and sirens.

Despite the drugs, Dean managed to stay awake, talking about the most random things to Cas. Once in the hospital and while the doctor and nurses began to remove the glass, Castiel took a seat so that he was level with Dean’s face.

“I don’t remember my mom much.” Dean whispered to Cas as though they were in a conspiracy.

“Sam said she was coming by for Jess-“

“Oh, that’s Ellen. She adopted us when we were pretty young. I was twelve. Sam was eight. She’s our mom, always will be. Nursed us through first broken hearts, made us soup when we were sick. But I mean, the woman who gave birth to me. I don’t remember _her_ much.”

“I’m very sorry.” Cas whispered.

“Nah, it’s fine. Bobby and Ellen more than made up for the first shitty years of our life. Then Jo came along and everything was perfect.” Dean studied Castiel’s face for a long moment. “More and more every day.”

“I used to read Green Eggs and Ham to Sammy when he was a kid. Make him macaroni and cheese for snack. I would sing him AC/DC when he was sick. Now he’s got one of his own coming.”

Cas, always the detective, asked, “Where was your father in this mess?”

“You mean when he wasn’t out impregnating other women, getting drunk, smashing the Impala or being arrested? Kicking the shit out of us, usually.” Dean said, his words beginning to slur at the edges.

“Dean-“

“No. I mean, no. We’ll talk about it after you ask me out and we go someplace nice for dinner. Maybe not the first date. Maybe more like date four or five.”

“When _I_ ask you out?” Cas said, surprised for the first time that evening.

“Yeah. Sammy says I can’t ask you out.” His eyes fluttered shut for a moment and Cas took that moment to take his hand which had been tucked beneath his chin.

“And why is that?” He asked.

“I don’t know. Something about mingling with,” Dean yawned and stroked Castiel’s thumb with his own, “Customers or high profile detectives. I’m just a lowly coffee shop owner.”

Castiel leaned close. “Dean, let me take you out to dinner.”

“Ok.” Dean replied immediately, his eyes on Cas and smiled. “But right now, I’m gonna take a nap.”

“That’s a good idea. I’ll be outside, I’m going to see who is handling your case.” Cas said softly. He stood and Dean was already asleep.

Cas spotted Sam down the hall, already having been accosted by a detective. Balthazar, Castiel recalled at the very last second. “So you don’t know anyone by the name of Edgar Roman?”

Sam was shaking his head. “No idea who he is. I don’t know why he would come after our shop in the middle of the friggin day and try to pull this shit with Dean.”

Balthazar smirked and shook his head. “I guess he didn’t case the place properly enough. If I were a criminal, the last people I would choose to rob would be you and your brother. You two can take care of yourselves pretty well, wouldn’t you say?”

Sam cocked his head at Balthazar. “We were raised by a couple of Special Forces men and a woman who scares _them_. Yeah, we picked up a few things. I’m not sure what you are implying though.”

Balthazar leaned forward. “Between you and your brother that guy is going to have his jaw wired shut for at least six weeks.”

“And yet, Detective,” Castiel intervened, “We have video evidence of this Edgar character entering Café Diem unlawfully and attacking the elder Winchester brother unprovoked and the younger Winchester defending not only his brother but also his pregnant wife. It seems pretty open and shut, wouldn’t you say?”

Balthazar turned to Castiel. “Castiel. Yes, it would seem that way.”

“If we are done here, Dean is asking for his brother.” Castiel said flatly, nodding to Sam and turning back to Dean’s room.

He heard Sam follow him and he stopped him outside the room. “You aren’t squeamish about blood are you? Because they were still picking out bits of glass from his back and sewing him up.”

“No, it’s fine.” Sam said. Cas nodded and they pushed through the door. Dean was totally out now, the doctor and two nurses working swiftly and quietly.

“Detective. Who do you bring with you this time?”

“This is Sam. Dean’s brother.”

“Well, have a seat. This is going to take a while.”

“Will he be able to go home tonight?” Sam asked.

“I don’t see why not. He won’t be able to sleep on his back for about a week though.”

Sam chose a seat next to the wall, leaving the chair closest to Dean wide open. Castiel took that seat and Sam leaned against the wall.

“Thank you for your help out there. It seemed like that guy was implying some other things out there.”

“Balthazar does have a reputation for being thorough.” Cas replied. “But I did not appreciate what he seemed to be implying.”

“Me either.”

“This Roman character though, doesn’t ring a bell?” Cas asked, taking a different approach.

“I’d have to look,” Sam said and rubbed the back of his neck, “But I think someone from Roman Realty made an offer on the café a few weeks back.”

“I didn’t know it was up for sale.” Castiel replied evenly, ignoring the strange thump his heart made at the news.

“That’s the thing; it’s not. This guy wants to buy up the block for some kind of strip mall. Dean and I refused to sell though.”

“That’s… interesting. Would you mind if I shared the news with Detective Andler?”

“The dude outside?” Sam asked.

“Yes.”

“Sure, man. But like I said, I’d have to check to make sure the name is right.” Sam said.

“There is a Roman Realty in town. I’m not sure of their current proprietary interests but what you are telling me does not sound outside of their norm.” Castiel said. Sam looked surprised. “It pays to be well informed in my line of work.” Castiel replied.

Castiel stood and left the room. He found Balthazar down the hall, getting ready to leave.

“Balthazar.” He called out. “Sam just informed me that you might want to check out Roman Realty. Seems like they made an offer on the café but they weren’t selling.”

Balthazar sighed and tucked his notepad into his jacket. “Those prats.” He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. “All right. I’ll see to them first thing in the morning. I suppose you would like to see the report after I’m done?”

“If you wouldn’t mind.” Castiel said politely.

“Only because you’re adorable, Castiel.” Balthazar said and gave him a half smile before turning away. Castiel’s phone vibrated.

“Did you give my phone number to a pregnant, panicked woman earlier today who is the wife of one of the Winchester boys?” Garth said, foregoing any kind of greeting.

“I did. She was a witness to the robbery earlier. Did she contact you?”

“Yes, she did. I am currently sitting in her living room. I just wanted to make sure.” Garth said. Castiel smiled. For a homicide detective, he was awfully trusting.

“Thank you, Garth.”

“No problem. She is a very nice lady. Anyway, partner. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Garth hung up without any other pretense and Cas dropped his phone back in his pocket. He re-entered the room to find Sam pulling Dean to his feet. Dean wore a large scrub top and swayed on his feet. Sam turned away for a second to grab Dean’s jacket and Dean grabbed for Castiel. Before he knew it, he was tucked securely underneath Dean’s arm, steadying him. Sam turned and shook his head at the sight of them. He sighed and led the way out of the room.

Castiel helped them out to the car and patted Dean’s hand when it caught the bottom of his coat.

“I will call you tomorrow to see how you are feeling, ok Dean?” He said.

“You don’t have my number.” Dean mumbled.

Castiel leaned in, put his lips close to Dean’s ear and whispered, “I’m a police officer. I will get it.” He smiled at Sam and waved them off.

~~~

Dean woke the next afternoon bleary eyed and confused. His back ached and itched and there was a note next to his face that said _Don’t move. Call us when you wake up_. With his phone conveniently placed next to his head. He reached for it, noticed four text messages and eight missed calls but ignored them for placing a call to Sam instead.

“Hey, Dean. You awake?” Sam asked.

“Yeah. What the hell happened, man?” Dean asked. “Did I fight off a robber? Did you kick his ass too? Or did I have an entire bottle of tequila?”

“No, you kicked a burglar’s ass. Then you got thrown in the pastry case which is why we left that note not to move. You’ve got like 65 stitches in your back.”

“Holy shit.” Dean said, impressed with himself.

“I’m going to talk to the insurance people right now. Jess should be home soon. Just sit tight, ok?”

“Ok.” Dean said and ended the call. He went back through his missed calls. Three were from Ellen, one was from Jo, one was from Bobby, two from numbers he didn’t recognize and one from Michael. He went over to his text messages.

_From: Unknown number_

_Hello Dean. This is Castiel Novak, checking to make sure you were all right. Please inform me if you need anything. I will contact you at a later time._    

Dean smiled at the man’s proper grammar and punctuation. He saved the number before he hit reply.

_Hi Cas. Thanks for your help last night. I’m currently stranded at my brother’s house and still on some powerful painkillers. Call when you can._

Before Dean could rifle through the rest of his texts, his phone rang.

“Hi, Cas.” Dean said.

“Hello, Dean.”

“You didn’t have to call right away.” Dean said, feeling a blush rise to his cheeks. He felt like a fourteen year old girl talking to her crush on the phone for the first time.

“But I can. So I did. How do you feel?”

“Sore. And itchy.” He said.

“I’m sure the stitches are unpleasant.” Cas said and Dean could practically hear the grimace through the phone. “But on a much more pleasant note, we have arrested Edgar Roman and Balthazar is currently questioning Richard Roman.”

“That is great. Anything I need to do?” Dean asked, feeling dizzy all of a sudden. The painkillers were still at work.

“Nothing at all. Since Sam is co-owner he can take care of all the paperwork while you heal up. You need to be in good working order by the seventh.” Castiel said breezily.

“What’s the seventh?” Dean asked, confused.

“That’s when I pick you up and we take that huge hulking black muscle car of yours to Nanson. I’ve got dinner reservations there for us.” Dean paused for a long time. “Dean?”

“So that wasn’t the painkillers making me hallucinate? You did ask me out? And I coherently said yes?”

“Did you not mean to?” Castiel asked, a formal tone edging his voice.

“You bet your sweet ass I meant to. I’m just proud drugged-up-Dean was wise enough to make that choice.”

Castiel huffed but Dean knew now that just meant he was chuckling to himself. “Great. We’ll speak soon Dean.”

“Bye Cas.” Dean said.

The room spun once more before Dean fell asleep again, dropping his phone on the floor.

~~~

Cas set the phone down and smiled to himself. He looked down at his desk calendar for the fifth time that morning. Only twelve days until their date. He looked up to see Garth smirking at him. “Asking out witnesses to cases, Castiel? I never took you for a rule breaker.”

“Not my case, Garth.” Castiel smirked. “And, since no one died, it won’t be.”

Castiel’s phone rang just then and Garth smirked. “Lover boy already?”

“Watch it Garth.” Castiel said raising a finger. “I can kick your ass.”

Garth cackled and raised his hands in mock surrender before turning back to his own desk.

“Novak.” Castiel said, leaning back in his chair.

“Detective, I am sending up everything I have on the case you gave me. A partial from the third beating matches a partial from another beating twelve years ago. In Washington state.”

“ _Twelve years_ ago?” Castiel said, pulling up the document from his computer.

“Yes, sir. The man never walked without a cane again. However, the,” Ash cleared his throat, “ _Victim_ in that case was accused of molesting three little boys, two of which vanished before it could reach trial and the third recanted his story faster than light. So, just a thought.”

“After the third child recanted, that was when the beating took place?” Castiel asked, writing this all down.

“Exact-amundo, my friend.” Ash said. “These crimes go back almost fifteen years, Detective. Police haven’t noticed only because they have been sporadically spread out through the continental US.”

Cas leaned back and looked up at the ceiling. Water damage in the shape of a hippo. Or, if he turned his head just right and squinted, a rabbit. “I appreciate your help in this matter, Ash. I am in your debt.”

“No problem Detective.” Ash replied and hung up the phone.

Castiel looked up at the ceiling and raised his hands up in frustration before folding them over his eyes. Just then, Balthazar strode in and threw a folder on Castiel’s desk. “Roman Realty hired Edgar Roman to go into Café Diem to beat the holy hell out of whoever was in there and scare the Winchester brothers into selling. Edgar folded after only a few hours of questioning. Dick Roman is being arrested as we speak.” Castiel dropped his hands to look at Balthazar. “Would you like to go for a drink?”

Castiel’s brain stuttered for a moment. The information about the Romans so quickly followed up by Balthazar’s question gave him intellectual whiplash.

“Oh, um. I’m actually seeing someone at the moment.” Castiel said.

“Ah, that pretty one from the café, is it?” Balthazar asked.

“Yes, that would be the one.”  Castiel said and cleared his throat.

“Ah, well, my loss.” And Balthazar gave Castiel that silly half smile of his and walked back out.

“Well look who’s Mr. Popular.” Garth said.  

“One more comment, Garth and I’ll take you out back.” Castiel said and pulled up the file that had just appeared on his desktop. He wasn’t aware that such things were possible but decided to take a peek anyway.

It was the cases dating back almost fifteen years, each a child abuser of some kind, almost surely convicted if the child or mother had not recanted their story. The abuser in the case almost undoubtedly manipulated the witness but since the police officers in charge of the case could not prove the point, their hands were tied. Within days, no more than a week usually, the alleged abuser ended up in the hospital with severe injuries. There were almost no changes whatsoever to the pattern and Castiel was astounded that no one had seen the design until now. Up until ten years ago, it had seemed that there was only one assailant until, mysteriously, two began showing up at the crime scenes. The beatings became exponentially more violent, seven of the _one hundred and eighty three_ victims dying. So this was not their first rodeo. Nor was it the first time that they had killed a person.

This also made them serial killers.

Castiel printed out the case files and stood by the printer while it spat out page after page of almost identical information. He frowned at the machine as it whirred and turned out his case file, clearly lost in thought.

“If you glare any harder at that machine, it’s going to burst into flames.” A soft voice came from behind him. Castiel jumped and turned. It was Jessica Winchester smiling at him.

“Ma’am, you move like a ghost.” He said politely. Her small smile widened.

“I was downstairs with Detective Adler and I wanted to come up and bring you these.” She said, holding up a small wicker basket in her hands. “I don’t know if it’s the pregnancy, or what, but I can’t stop baking.” She began to blush as Castiel studied her. “Anyway, um, Chuck said you liked the carrot cake muffins but there are also chocolate chip and pumpkin as well. I wasn’t too sure what your tastes were but I just wanted to say thank you, for um, sending Garth? And helping Dean. And Sam too-“

Castiel stopped her with a gentle hand on her wrist. Her pulse was racing. “Thank you, Jessica. That was very kind of you.” He plucked the basket from her hands. He glanced over at Garth who was already face deep into his own basket. “Please, let me know if you or your family needs anything. I will be glad to help.”

Jess smiled, wide and grateful this time. “No, thank you.”

He helped her put her coat on and waved to her as she left.

“That has got to be the nicest woman I have ever met.” Garth said.

Castiel nodded and as the printer finally came to a halt, began to collect his case. It was hundreds of pages long and covered multiple states. He began to head to Chief Mills office but then turned back and plucked the basket off his desk. With the way the muffins smelled, he trusted his colleagues no more than he trusted the Monsters of Eastwick.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A first date

“Well, you certainly have taste, I’ll give you that.” Jess said, as she began to spoon some homemade soup into a huge bowl for Dean. “He’s polite and articulate. Very, very pretty.” She tore off a huge piece of bread she had made this morning and laid it on a plate for him. “Those big blue eyes could probably melt anyone’s heart.” Jess set the bowl and plate in front of him and poured him a glass of orange juice.

“Jess, you know it’s stitches and not a cold, right?” Dean asked, surveying the food in front of him.

“Shut up. I’m making a point.”

Dean sighed and tore off a smaller piece of bread to dunk in the broth. He motioned for her to continue.

“He’s smart, Dean. Unusually smart. Like, he should be working at NASA or something. He’s already connected these cases to the ones nationwide. And there’s that partial from Missouri-“

“What are you saying Jess?” Dean asked, spooning some soup into his mouth.

“I don’t think you should go out with him.” She said with a sigh. Usually she was not the one to push her nose in Dean’s life, that was Sam’s job. She would only say something like this out of genuine concern for Dean.

Dean sighed and laid his spoon down. “Don’t you think that it will come off a slight bit suspicious that I said yes to his date and all of a sudden back out?” He shrugged and went back to his soup. “Besides, Jess. Let’s be real. It’s not going to turn into anything. It never turns into anything.”

Jess slumped in the chair in front of Dean. She placed her hands on her non-existent belly. “It’s because they are all fools.”

“I was going to ask you if you wanted to come shopping with me. Well, actually, I need you to because if I ask Jo, I’ll end up in a fight again.” Dean said.

“That girl is all grown up. You can’t be taking every man’s head off that gives her a second look.” Jess said.

“Sure I can.” Dean said. He raised an eyebrow. “So?”

“Is this for your date?” She asked suspiciously.

“Of course it’s for my date. I can’t go out with Cas wearing an apron or something torn or something with bloodstains or something bloodstained and torn.”

“Sam will-”

“All right, all right. Stay here. Keep my brother happy. But when I end up wearing one of those tuxes from the seventies that green with ruffles on the front and Cas breaks my heart, you will have to bear the guilt of it.”

“I’m free on Tuesday.” Jess said. She smiled at him.

“I’ll see if Adam can cover for me.”

Jess nodded. “It’s a date.”

~~~

“What you are saying to me is that with all this,” Cas gestured around the room to the monitors and hard drives and banks and banks of systems, “You cannot find a pattern.”

Ash rubbed the back of his neck. “I know what it looks like, but these things can be randomly generated.”

“How? How on earth can something like this be generated?”

Ash furrowed his brow. “Easily enough. For example, pull the cases nationwide that fit these guys MO and assign them numbers. Put those numbers into a lottery like program, the computer generates a randomly selected number. Continue feeding the numbers and cases into the program on an on-going basis and voila. Random. No pattern.”

Cas glared at the computers around him. “Fuck.” He said. He scrubbed his hands over his face. “So how do we even know that the case in Albany is connected to the case in San Antonio? How do we know that San Antonio wasn’t just a pissed off father looking for revenge?”

Ash just looked at him.

“We don’t.” Cas supplied. “Great.” He nodded. “Fucking awesome.” He sat down in a chair and something crunched beneath him. He pulled a bag of Cheetos out from underneath him and tossed them on a nearby table. “One hundred and eighty three people beaten within an inch of their lives. Seven of them died. Eight, if we include the guy from two days ago. They are serial killers flying so far beneath everyone’s radar, they haven’t even come up on radar.” He turned to Garth who had remained silent so far. “You know what this means, right?”

Garth, a hand tucked underneath his chin approached the board and flipped through the victims. “It means they are stationary now.”

“It means they are here now.” Cas added.

“A few tidbits I have also gathered.” Ash said, sliding over two files to Garth and Cas. “You already know that these two are combat trained so I would like to venture to guess that they are military. I would also put them between six foot two and six foot six from their footprints.”

“Giants.” Garth muttered, the first thing he’d said since they entered the room.

“Guessing they are in age range of each other, adding the standard four years of military training, they would both have to be in their mid to late thirties. Obviously a history of violence and probably domestic abuse. I would even hazard a guess that mom is either dead or has long since left the picture.” Ash said. He stood next to Garth and Cas and mirrored Garth’s hand under his chin.

Cas and Garth turned to stare at him.

“How on earth-” Garth started.

“Oh, doctorate in psych from Brown. I was bored for a couple of years.”

Garth looked over at Cas who looked over at Ash who shrugged.

There wasn’t much else to say after that.

“Thank you, Ash. For all your help.” Cas said and stood up.

“Yes, sir. Come see me again if you need anything else.” Ash waved them goodbye and turned back to his wall of monitors.

Garth didn’t say much on the way back upstairs. In front of their desks he turned to Cas and said, “People can surprise you.”

Cas nodded. “Tell me about it.”

~~~

“Green.”

“Blue?”

“Your eyes are green. His are blue.” Jess said, holding the shirt for him. It was button up and fit Dean across the shoulders wonderfully.

“So, not blue.” Dean said, putting the blue shirt back. “What about a black button up with a green tie?”

Jess worried at her lower lip and then conceded. “Let’s try that on as well.”

Dean plucked a button up from one of the racks and grabbed an emerald green tie. “It’s Benny’s place.” Dean said. Jess nodded and snagged some pants as well. In the dressing room it was just a quick decision that the black shirt with green tie was Dean’s best bet.

“I think if we made a list of stuff you look awful in, it would be a much shorter list than what you look good in.” Jess said, frowning.

Dean looked critically in the mirror. His face was still lightly bruised from the beating he took a week and a half ago but he was healing nicely. “I knew I should have been a model.” Dean said, striking a pose in the mirror.

Jess chuckled.

“Come on. Let’s go pay for these so I can go breaking hearts all around town.” Dean said. He went back into the dressing room and pulled his clothes on.

At the cash register he flirted shamelessly with the sale lady and Jess raised an eyebrow. She hoped that Cas would be able to deal with Dean’s antics. But, then again, Cas did have a gun.

That was the problem. Cas had a gun, Cas worked for the law, Cas’ brother was the district attorney, and there was a sister in there she had read about graduating with the highest honors and heading off to the FBI.

Stumbling into a family like this had required a lot of Jess. Sam had asked a lot from her, namely her trust. Eventually, after getting the halting, stilted story of Sam and Dean’s childhood from Sam, she found it hard to believe that the would turn out any other way. Dean had been first, learning his way around the kills, the monsters that haunted children in the dark in all the various forms they came in. It had been a tough road, a road that Bobby and Ellen learned about later and Sam even after them. Rufus and Michael had been brought into the fold only after Sam had been added to the mix, killing his first monster at the young age of fifteen.

Jess had been disgusted at first and tempted to go to the police. Until Sam showed up at her door one early afternoon, a folder in his hands, his brother at his back. Sam had asked for only half an hour, enough time to explain himself and his brother to her. Enough time to explain to her why they did what they did. Why there was never any going back, why there was never any stopping.

Her name was Madeline. She was nine years old and had bright red hair. A smattering of freckles across her cheeks and beautiful hazel eyes made Jess stop at the picture on top of the folder.

“She is smart. She wants to play the violin.” Dean said.

“How could you possibly know that?” Jess whispered, her hands trembling over the young girl’s picture. She hesitated to turn to the next picture, the next page.

“Sam was at the park, watching out for her. We don’t pick our monsters lightly, Jess. Or even easily.”

“What do you mean, you were at the park?” Jess whispered, staring at the red hair.

“We’ll stake out our monsters. I followed Madeline and the man in the picture,” Sam turned Madeline’s picture for Jess to see a man in a suit, smiling, blue eyes bright at the camera, “To the park one day. I sat down at one of the tables there and pulled out a book. She came to me. She asked if I liked pictures.” Jess was already crying before he said the next words. “The next picture is what she handed to me.”

“Don’t-” Jess asked, voice soft and pleading.

“Look at the picture, Jess.” Sam urged softly.

“Please don’t.” She said and closed her eyes.

“This is what the world does to children, Jess. The man in the picture takes pictures.” Dean said firmly, but never raised his voice. “It’s ugly and disgusting and I hoped that you would never see what that little girl handed to Sam but we need you to see why we do what we do. Why we’ll be out late tonight and why tomorrow there will be a news report about a local branch manager who was assaulted and possibly killed.”

Jess opened her eyes and stared at Sam. He flipped the picture of the man over and Jess looked down.

What she saw would forever be burned into her memory.

Sam held her hair back while she puked and Dean wiped her brow with a cool washcloth.

“Do you see now?” Sam asked, turning her face to him. “Do you see why we do what we do?”

Jess had seen, but more importantly, she had understood.

When they returned very early the next morning, she had the first aid kit out and ready to use. She used hydrogen peroxide to get all the blood out of their clothes. She ran the wash, burned what she couldn’t salvage and the next morning, same as always, she made them breakfast.

It would be the first time of many.

Dean whistled as he drove them home from the mall. Jess was married to a serial killer, whose brother was a serial killer, who had a family who not only covered for them but had a contingency plan for almost every single scenario if they got caught and she couldn’t be happier.

The world was a wild and fucked up place.

~~~

“The blue tie!” Gabe insisted.

“I always wear the blue tie!” Cas argued.

“Castiel, you literally have seventeen minutes before he gets here.” Anna said. She was sitting on his bed in a tshirt and worn shorts and had long ago stopped trying to give suggestions.

“Anna-” Gabe whined, turning to her.

“Oh for crying out loud!” Anna said impatiently and leapt off the bed. She pulled a blue checked button up shirt out of Castiel’s closet, pressed and dry cleaned only the day before, and a solid blue tie. With his slate gray pants, even Gabe had no way to voice disapproval. Anna quickly tied his tie and slapped his hand away as he reached for his old trenchcoat.

“Don’t you dare.” She threatened. She turned to Gabe. “Give me your leather jacket.”

“But-” Gabe started.

“No dessert!” She said, pointing a finger at him.

“Anna-!”

“For a week!” She said, her voice reaching octaves Cas hadn’t realized the human voice could attain.

Gabe grumbled but fell off Castiel’s bed and went to his own room where he retrieved his prize black leather jacket. Anna shoved his keys and wallet in the pockets as the doorbell rang. Castiel met Gabe’s eyes who was holding the cologne and Anna dashed off to the front room. Gabe shoved the cologne at Cas who almost dropped it and left the room as well, shouting over his shoulder, “No more than two squirts, Cas!”

Cas sighed and did as he was told, putting the cologne on and putting his shoes on. He heard Dean’s laughter from the front room and hurried along. God only knew what Gabe was saying to the poor man.

He stepped into the living room as he was pulling on his coat and tried to swallow at the sight of Dean but ended up choking on his own salvia.

Dean was wearing a black button up shirt, black pants, black shoes and an emerald green tie. The dark colors made his hair look lighter in contrast and the green of his tie made his eyes looked brighter.

All in all, the effect was devastating.

“Anna had the same reaction.” Gabe said knowingly.

Cas rubbed his chest and cleared his throat. “Don’t wait up.” He told them, in an effort to get them off his back. The innuendo, however, was not lost on anyone in the room. Anna buried her face in her hands and Gabe positively howled with laughter.  

“My knight in shining armor thinks he’s getting lucky way too soon.” Dean said with a wink in Gabe’s direction.

“I didn’t mean-” Cas started and then frowned. “Did you just call me your knight in shining armor?”

“Come on, Lancelot. We’ll be late.” Dean said, pulling Cas towards the door. Anna waved and Gabe smirked and then Cas found himself firmly ensconced in the huge black car he had mentioned to Dean earlier.

“She’s beautiful.” Cas said softly, running a hand across the dashboard.

“I’d like to think so.” Dean said with a grin, starting the car up with a satisfactory roar. He turned the car north and they headed up to the small town of Nanson where there was a small restaurant in a hidden corner of the edge of the woods resided.

When they arrived, the hostess greeted them with a smile. She had stunning red hair cut stylishly short and porcelain skin. “Dean.” She said. She came around her podium and he wrapped her up in a hug.

“Cas, let me introduce you to Charlie.”

Charlie straightened up and offered Castiel her hand. They shook and Charlie smiled slyly over at Dean. “Is this the handsome detective that Jo and Jess won’t shut up about?”

“The one and only.” Dean said, nudging Castiel gently and giving him a smile. “Charlie is like- well, her and Jo are like the little sisters I never wanted. Charlie grew up down the street from us until Sam and I finally moved out.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, Charlie. You work here and the cafe?”

Charlie grinned even wider and plucked two menus from the holder. “A girl’s gotta live. And if both my brothers are offering me cushy jobs, who am I to complain? Right this way, gentlemen.” She said. Dean took a step back and gestured for Cas to go first, a hand on the small of his back.

Dean leaned over and said in Castiel’s ear, “Wait till you see what I’ve got in store for you.”

“Is this one of those inappropriate innuendoes I used back at home?” Cas asked.

Dean chuckled. “No, seriously. Wait until you see this.”

Charlie led them up a small flight of stairs and into the back corner. In a small, round alcove, there was a table with a white cloth, two fat white candles and two small chairs pushed suspiciously close together. On the walls were sconces holding more of the fat white candles and a floor to ceiling window that looked out over a stream. The forest framed the window and stream perfectly, the setting sun providing the most perfect view for them.

“This is-” Cas had to pause for a moment and looked over at Dean who had his eyebrows raised expectantly, “Breathtaking, my god.”

Charlie took Castiel’s jacket and hung it over a hook and placed the two menus on the table. “Your server tonight is Hannah and she will be right with you.”

Dean smiled. “Hannah is a sweet lady.”

She was there in record breaking time, serving water and taking drink orders.

“Do you know everyone in this place?” Cas asked.

“Just about. Benny is the head chef and occasional manager around here. That’s Charlie’s big brother. He’s adopted, nicest guy ever. Anyway, he started out in Ellen’s kitchen, testing everything he knew out on me and Sam. Mostly because he knew I'd be honest and Sam would eat just about anything. Ellen fired him because she wanted him to go to culinary school. He did, traveled Europe, picked up some tricks and came back here to open this place.”

Hannah stepped into their little alcove and place beers in front of both of them. “Benny said I’m only allowed to serve you two because he saw the Impala in the parking lot.” She said.

“What, does he think I’m sixteen again? I’m here with a man of the law no less.” Dean grumbled. Hannah laughed and patted Dean on the arm. “What can I get you guys?”

Dean ordered the New York sirloin, medium rare, and Cas ordered the hickory smoked bacon burger with sweet potato fries on the side. Hannah scribbled down their orders, promised that more bread was on the way and left them to their own small space.

Castiel’s eyes drifted towards the stream just outside the window, now only lit from the light inside the restaurant. It glowed golden in the reflection of the glass. He turned his eyes to Dean who was watching him and they sat for a moment, in silence.

“Where did you come from?” Dean asked softly.

“Oh, I’ve been here and there.” Cas said.

“It’s like you dropped out of the sky.” Dean said with a smirk and turned his eyes to the cutlery at his fingertips.

“Just for your tea.” Cas said, reaching out and stopping the fork spinning on the table.

Dean raised his eyes. “Oh is that all you’ve got me out here for? My tea?”

Cas didn’t smile or slide his gaze away. He answered Dean slow and soft, “You make really good tea.”

Dean laughed, loud and sudden. “I’ll take that. I can start with that.”

Cas smiled just as easily, caught unaware of how rare the gesture was for him. But with Dean in front of him, it was as easy as breathing.

“You have a nice smile.” Dean said suddenly, reaching out and barely tracing Castiel’s jaw. “I like the way you smile.”

“That is a line, Dean Winchester. I am a detective. I can detect these sorts of things.” Cas said, the smile on his face widening.

“It’s like a secret.” Dean said, continuing on. “Like something you don’t do often enough.”

“Gabe would agree with you.” Cas said, suddenly very aware of Dean’s fingertips so very light on his face. They felt hot there, and Cas wanted more. He leaned into the touch just the slightest bit, amazed at how starved he felt for that simple gesture.  

“I’d like to make you smile more.” Dean offered.

“I-” Cas started and realized that he had nothing left to say and shook his head. He reached up and took Dean’s fingers in his and shook his head again.

“Am I interrupting something?” A man said slowly from the door. He leaned against the door frame, grinning. “Because it most certainly looks like I am interrupting something.”

“Yes, old man.” Dean said, peevishly. “You are interrupting something.”

“Good.” The man said, drawing Dean to his feet and pulling him into a hug. “It’s been too long.”

“I might say it’s not been long enough.” Dean laughed. “Benny, this is my- this is Cas. Castiel. Benny Lafitte, owner of this rundown shack.”

Cas smiled. “It’s hardly a shack. You have a beautiful place here.”

“Finally, somebody with taste!” Benny said, pulling Castiel into a hug. “I like this one, Dean.”

“Join the club. Jess is vice president.” Dean said. They sat down and Benny went back to his spot against the wall.

“Speaking of Jess, I hear there is news?”

“She is carrying the next generation of Winchester, as we speak.” Dean confirmed.

“Sam assaulted me when he heard the news.” Cas said solemnly.

“He what?” Benny asked with a snort. “Not that I’m surprised, mind you.”

“Assault is kind of a strong word, Cas.” Dean said, offering Cas a grin.

“Your brother is strong.” Cas replied, smearing butter on a piece of bread.

Dean related the story and Benny’s eyes lit up. “I have to go tell everyone immediately. Your food is almost up, so let me know what you think. Honest.”

“Yes, sir.” Dean replied and added a mock salute.

Benny left swiftly, no doubt to find Charlie and Hannah and tell them of Sam’s story.

Dean turned back to Cas, their knees bumping underneath the table. “Where was I?” He asked, reaching for Castiel’s chin once more. Castiel’s breath caught as Dean leaned forward-

“You weren’t there, at least not yet, Dean Winchester.” Charlie scolded as she brought in one plate and Hannah followed with another. Charlie set Dean’s steak down in front of him and Hannah set Castiel’s plate down.

“Damn it.” Dean muttered.

“Well, it looks beautiful, ladies.” Castiel said, in a vain attempt to hide Dean’s comment.

“Sure, sure.” Hannah said, batting at Castiel’s shoulder playfully.

“Might I suggest a walk after dessert? I think that’s what you’re waiting for, Dean.”

Dean paused as he reached for his fork. “Charlie, you are a damn genius.” He said softly.

“I know, I know.” She said with a shrug and a wink at Cas. “Don’t worry, it’s not far.” She said to him.

He raised an eyebrow at Dean who smiled benignly and began to cut into his steak. Cas picked up his burger and proceeded to have an out of body experience. Moments later he noticed that Dean wasn’t eating. Cas swallowed what was in his mouth and cocked an eyebrow. “Is it not to your liking?” He asked.

“I don’t know. It’s impossible to eat when you sound like a porn movie right next to me.” Dean said and shifted in his seat.

“My apologies.” Cas said and from that point on, tried to keep the noises he was making to a minimum.

“God knows what people outside thought we were up to.” Dean said, nodding to the small doorway that led to the rest of the restaurant.

“I’m an officer.” Cas said and straightened up. “I would never do anything that could be construed as conduct unbecoming an officer.”

Dean reached under the table and squeezed his knee suddenly, making Cas issue a yelp in response before slapping his hand away. “For an officer you certainly make some interesting sounds.” He said, laughing.

Dean finally started eating and conversation flowed smoothly between them. Cas was one of the most interesting people Dean had talked to in a long time, gentle and smart but with a take-no-bullshit-attitude to top it off. It would have made him a formidable asset on the police force.

As for Cas, he was perplexed as to why Dean was an owner of a coffee shop, of all things. Cas did not miss the way Dean handled his steak knife expertly, spinning it around in his fingers almost mindlessly as Cas spoke to him. Nor did he miss the way Dean’s biceps moved under the almost-too-tight shirt. Cas knew that Dean had an ace in the hole, something that made him just a little more interesting than the other men he met in his day to day life.   

Hannah walked in a short while after they finished, shaking her head. “You guys are making heads turn out there.” She set down two plates in front of them, along with two cups and a small carafe of coffee. She swept away their dirty dishes and said, “Benny says to say goodbye before you leave. He wants your opinion on the burger. It’s new to the menu.”

“We’re gonna need the check, Hannah!” Dean called to her retreating back.

“Yeah, I’ll tell Benny you said that.” Hannah said and she laughed. She ducked her head back in the room and said, “You two will be waiting in here all night and I know Dean has other plans.”

Dean buried his head in his hands but Cas was too busy inspecting the smaller plates in front of him.

“Pecan pie and cherry pie. I myself prefer cherry pie. Dean?” Cas said, only then realizing Dean’s embarrassment.

“You can’t meet any more of my family or friends.” Dean moaned. “Ever.”

Around a mouthful of pie Cas asked, “Why not?”

“They are a collection of the world’s most embarassing people, out to ruin my life.”

“Wait until Gabe and Anna get ahold of you for any amount of time. There will be baby pictures and all the social faux pas one can imagine.” Cas said. He shook his head. “You can never speak to Gabe.”

Dean laughed and pulled the pecan pie towards himself. “All right, fine. You can never speak to my family and I can never speak to yours. We’ll be like teenagers, stealing away every chance we get.”

“It’s a plan.”

“Not a good one.”

“But it’s all we’ve got.”

They finished their dessert in companionable silence and when they were done, Dean left a fifty on the table. “He won’t let me pay, but he won’t stop me from tipping his waitress as much as I want.” Dean said.

Dean took Castiel’s hand slowly as he led them down the stairs and through a back hallway. “Where are we going?” Cas asked, catching glimpses of other patrons tucked away in similiar spots as theirs.

“Benny said to say goodbye. If I don’t, I wouldn’t put it past him to come down to the cafe and make fun of my fruit tarts.”

“What a bastard.” Cas said as Dean pushed open the door to the kitchen and noise exploded around them. There was a radio turned up in the corner of the kitchen, Benny shouting orders, waiters and waitresses shouting at each other and the cooks, and it all looked like the most well organized and chaotic ballet Cas had ever seen.

“Benny!” Dean shouted and raised a hand. Benny grinned and tapped a smaller man next to him. The man raised a hand to Dean as well. “Kevin!” Dean said. They both made their way over to Dean and Dean gave Kevin a great big hug and picked him up off his feet. “I haven’t seen you in-”

“Eight years!” Kevin finished off and hugged Dean again. “I just got in last night and I was going to surprise you on my next day off at the cafe.”

Dean, much to Castiel’s surprise, had tears in his eyes. “It’s really good to see you.”        

“No need to get mushy, man. You’ve known where to find me.”

Kevin smiled and it was a little forced. “Too soon, I guess.”

Dean hugged him again, “Whenever you are ready.”

Kevin nodded and Dean tugged Cas towards the door but right before they left, Kevin called out to Dean again. “Sam is with you still, right?”

“Where else would he be?” Dean said with a laugh over the clamor of dishes and food and people. Kevin nodded once, tight. “Come on, Cas. Let’s go for a walk.”

They headed up the stairs but instead of going out the way they came in, Dean headed towards another door. They found Charlie flipping through a comic book and she smiled at them but didn’t say a word. Dean found a path lit by the moon and they walked for a long time.

“Kevin.” Cas started, the young man weighing on his mind. He seemed both grateful and repelled by Dean’s presence, moreso by Sam’s.

“Good kid. Smart. I’m glad he’s with Benny.” Dean answered.

“How do you know him?”

Dean concentrated on the path in front of him and made sure to point out a root sticking up so that Cas wouldn’t trip. Cas had given up on Dean answering and was about to move onto another subject when Dean cleared his throat.

“I might have mentioned that Sam and I grew up without our mom around. Our dad was an alcoholic bastard. He was mean and he beat the shit out of us,” Dean met Castiel’s eyes then, “But the fucked up part about it was that he loved us more than anything. How’s that for a beginning to life? Well, anyway, he kicked the bucket. Heart attack. I was fourteen, Sam was ten. We were looking at at least several years in state custody until our surrogate uncle Bobby stepped forward. Bobby had been in and out of our lives for as long as I can remember and it had taken awhile to find him. Sam and I were in a  boys home for a couple months but it was-” Dean’s  brow furrowed. “It was enough. It was more than enough. My dad was mean, I was used to taking a beating, I could sometimes even handle my own, but that place was like hell. Anyway, they got us out as soon as they could. We lived happily ever after.”

Dean paused again and then he continued, “Kevin was in the same boat as us. Well, not really. He grew up in a good family until he got the shit end of a stick, both of his parents dying in a car accident. He was put into the system and was put in a house with about four other kids. When the kids weren’t beating the shit out of him, the foster dad was.” Dean paused and he ducked around a tree. Cas hurried to follow him. “Sam was his Big Brother. They became pretty close and Kevin eventually told him what was going on. Sam went to social services and didn’t stop. The family put Kevin in the hospital and Kevin blamed Sam for that.”

“But it wasn’t his fault. There was no way for Sam to know what they would do.”

“You’re right.” Dean nodded. “I told him that same thing. But once you know Sam, you know that when he takes the blame, it’s all him. There is no getting through to him. Kevin found another family, a great family and went on to culinary school. Ellen kept tabs on him, introduced him to Benny who introduced him to a chef in France and that was the last we had heard about him.”

“How long ago?” Cas asked.

“He went to France two years ago.” Dean said. “His adoptive mom said he was doing really well, got some therapy, did really well in school.”

“So he ended up happily ever after too?”

Dean paused. “I’m not sure. He got out of the hell he was living in, but something like that leaves its mark. I had Sam and Sam had me. It was like soldiers in the trenches. We know what we went through. We can- I don’t know, consolidate those memories between us, we can make it better between both of us. If Sam is having a dark day, it’s been my job since I was born to help him make it better. Same thing with him. He knows when it’s not a good day for me and he helps me work past it. Jess does too. What we have, what we found, helped us get over our past. It’s still there, I won’t lie to you about that, but we found our way to work past it. Kevin, I’m not sure he’s found that way yet.”

“But he will.”

“I think he’ll find his way.” Dean agreed.

They continued on for another ten minutes, neither speaking. Finally, Dean slowed and and reached behind him blindly for Castiel’s hand. Cas gave it to him and stepped forward next to Dean.

They had stopped at the edge of a cliff. Below them was the rest of the forest that the restaurant had backed up to. A few feet ahead of them was a small bench.

Cas blinked.

“It used to be a lot more beautiful.” Dean confessed. “But it’s still amazing.”

The forest below them was partially scorched. Cas could follow the line where the firefighters had pushed back and eventually extinguished the fire that had burned thousands of acres. The stark green against the blackened ruined was a startling contrast but there was no denying the disturbing beauty of it.

“No.” Cas breathed. “No, it’s still beautiful.”

The nearly full moon made the green seem richer and darker at the same time, casting eerie shadows over the burnt and naked branches that were left from the fire. The skeletal branches reached up and over one another, creating something haunted and distinct.

“Not a lot of people would say that.”

Cas smiled but didn’t reply.

“We didn’t grow up like you. Anna, Gabe and I. Mom died when Anna was born and dad just checked out after that. Gabe took care of me, I took care of Anna when he left to school and now Anna takes care of us. It wasn’t- it wasn’t bad. I guess I understand more than I thought I would when you said that you had Sam. I had Anna and Gabe. It made it better.”

He turned to face Dean who was still looking out at the remains of the forest.

“It’s beautiful. It’s lonely and it’s stark and it’s thorny but it’s beautiful.”

“Are we still talking about the forest?” Dean asked.

“I don’t know.” Cas said.

Dean nodded and looked down.

This time, it wasn’t Dean who moved but Cas. He stepped forward suddenly and cupped Dean’s cheek and turned him towards himself. Cas kissed him like he had the rest of his life to  finish, the rest of eternity to memorize the planes of his face. When Dean leaned forward, Cas pulled back, gentling the kiss.

“We’ve got time.” He said softly, his fingers sweet on Dean’s jaw.

Dean nodded. “Ready to go?”

“I think so.” Cas said and leaned forward once more, pressing his lips to Dean’s. “Yeah, I’m ready.”

~~~

Dean dropped Cas at his house after another chaste kiss that left Dean gasping for more. He waited until Cas was in his house before he left.

The kitchen light was on when he stepped inside his own home and Sam was at the table.

“How was it?” Sam asked.

“He’s amazing.”

Sam shook his head. “I was afraid of that.”

On the table in front of Sam, there was a pipe, a hammer and a roll of quarters.

“Do we need to take care of something?” Dean asked, tugging off his jacket.

“Bobby found something back east. I’ve got the cafe covered for the next two days.” Sam said.

Dean thought briefly of wide blue eyes and the softest mouth he ever knew.

“Give me five minutes.” He said.


End file.
